The results of the Kansas City Antiques Expo, November 14-15, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


Our booth

Our booth

The Kansas City Antiques Expo finished its two-day run this past Saturday, November 15, 2014. Attendance was light on Friday, but included some knowledgeable clients. Unfortunately, sales to the public were zero, but the day wasn’t a total loss as I did make one sale to another show dealer.

We sold this important Quezal shade at the show

We sold this important Quezal shade at the show

Saturday was almost as slow as Friday. Attendance was very light, again with no sales to the general public. I did make a nice sale to my own clients, who drove all the way from Dallas to see me. Thank you for your business and your loyalty!

We won’t be exhibiting in Kansas City for the forseeable future. The poor response from the public did not warrant the time and expense to show there. It’s too bad, because we like to exhibit for the promoter, Chris Miller, and we like Kansas City. But business is business, so our hand has been forced. We’ll probably try Indianapolis one more time, at another of Chris’ shows.


pier-show-11-2014This week we’ll be in New York City for our final show of 2014, at Pier 94, for the usual November show. The show is worth traveling to from anywhere in the world, as evidenced by the buyers who fly in from as far away as Japan. Why don’t you use the show as your excuse to come to New York City this weekend? You know you want to! You’ll have a great time and see a wonderful antique show at the same time. Make sure you stop by our booth to say hello.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Setting up at the Kansas City Antiques Expo, November 12, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


We're just getting started

We’re just getting started

Yesterday was the first day of setup for the Kansas City Antiques Expo. We’ve got an enormous 40′ booth, so setup was easy. We didn’t have to step over each other or the merchandise.

The show is small, but with good dealers. The problem is that attendees won’t be pleased by the size of the show, which could precipitate a vicious cycle. I hope not, but tune in Monday for the results.

We'll have this fantastic Daum vase at the show

We’ll have this fantastic Daum vase at the show

We’ve got some fine new items, just since last week’s show in Winnetka, including a wonderful early Moorcroft MacIntyre pitcher, a great Daum Nancy vase with applied flowers, a 1904 Van Briggle vase, an Amphora portrait vase and a rare pair of Quezal dark green decorated shades. (By the way, did you hear about the art glass shades that sold at Julia’s yesterday? Wow! Some amazing prices were realized. It looks like the art glass shade market may be experiencing a revival after a few years in the doldrums. I’ll be reviewing Julia’s auction at a later date.) So if you’re in the greater Kansas City area, please come and see us at the show. Remember it’s open this Friday and Saturday only. NO SUNDAY!

pier-show-11-2014Next week we’ll be in New York City for our final show of 2014, at Pier 94, for the usual November show. Remember to check my website for the latest items and keep reading my blog.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

The results of the Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show, November 7-9, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


The Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show finished yesterday, after a 3-day run from November 7-9. It was a strange show, that ultimately worked out. We’re very satisfied with our sales, most of which came from our three best clients. If we had to rely on sales to new clients, the show would have been a catastrophe. Each of you knows who you are. Thank you for your business and your loyalty.

The show started with a preview party on Thursday night. Of course we didn’t sell a thing. The good part was the plentiful, delicious food and the unlimited drinks. If we weren’t going to sell anything, at least we were well treated.

We sold this lovely Tiffany/Grueby lamp at the show

We sold this lovely Tiffany/Grueby lamp at the show

Friday was fairly tortuous, sitting for 8 hours, with very few people attending and very little interest. Nothing good happened until one of our best clients showed up at the end of the day.

Attendance improved a little on Saturday, but still not much doing until the other two best clients showed up. By the end of the day, we were having a good show.

Sunday afternoon in front of our booth

Sunday afternoon in front of our booth

Sunday was the busiest day, with good attendance, lots of questions and a few small sales to new people. It wasn’t our most remunerative day, but it was satisfying, nonetheless.

Overall, our results were light-years ahead of last year. Sales of French glass and Tiffany glass were best. We’ll be back next year, hopefully in a larger booth, as we were really cramped in this one.


kansas-city-11-2014This week we’ll be in Kansas City, MO, for the Kansas City Antiques Expo, at the Holiday Inn Exhibition Center, right near the airport. It’s a really quick show that opens this Friday at 10 AM and ends on Saturday at 6 PM. It’s our only show that isn’t open on Sunday (which I don’t understand and think is a mistake). The following week we’ll be in New York City for our final show of 2014, at Pier 94, for the usual November show. Remember to check my website for the latest items and keep reading my blog.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

Setting up at the Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show, November 5, 2014

winnetka-11-2014My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


We're about halfway finished setting up

We’re about halfway finished setting up

Yesterday was the first day of setup for the Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show. We’ll finish today and open to the public this evening with a preview party. Whoop dee doo! Can you hear the excitement in my voice? I just love preview parties. I might even have sold something, at some time, at some preview party. I just can’t recall exactly when. :>(

One of the fine displays at the show

One of the fine displays at the show

We have a lovely end-cap booth that unfortunately is a little too small for us, so we’ve had to jam everything in and not display a number of items. I hope the show goes well so we can move to a larger booth next year. Not sure what to expect, as some years have been good and others not. Tune in Monday for the results.

Another of the fine displays at the show The show is very diverse, with high quality dealers from all walks. There are no junk dealers at all in the show, so it’s really worth a trip from anywhere in the greater Chicago area. Personally, I’ve brought an outstanding selection, which I hope you’ll come to see. You will not be disappointed!


Next week we’ll be in Kansas City, MO, for the Kansas City Antiques Expo, and then the following week in New York City for our final show of 2014, at Pier 94, for the usual November show. Remember to check my website for the latest items and keep reading my blog.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

The results of the Morristown Armory Antiques Show, November 1-2, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


Sunday afternoon in front of my booth

Sunday afternoon in front of my booth

The Morristown Armory Antiques Show finished yesterday, November 2nd, after a brief two-day run. I had vowed after the last Morristown show not to return, but Allison Kohler, the show promoter, convinced me otherwise. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to convince me the next time.

This Quezal shade was sold at the show

This Quezal shade was sold at the show

Attendance was moderate for a small show, but there weren’t enough strong buyers. My inventory was light-years beyond the other dealers, so we needed the well-heeled attendees to step up to the plate to make it worthwhile. I made a few small sales, so it’s possible we broke even, but I have better things to do than break even after all the time, energy and money invested. It’s a shame. Allison Kohler is a good promoter and I like to do her shows, but business is business. If I can’t do enough business to earn a buck, I can’t come back. So as of now, I’ve sworn off the whole state of New Jersey and would only return for some extraordinary circumstance.


winnetka-11-2014We’ll be in Winnetka this week, a suburb of Chicago, for the Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show. That will be followed by the Kansas City Antiques Expo, and then our final show of 2014, back at the Pier in NYC for the usual November show. Remember to check my website for the latest items and keep reading my blog.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

The Morristown Armory Antiques Show will open this Saturday, November 1, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


Morristown-10-2014The Morristown Armory Antiques Show will open this Saturday, November 1st, at 10 AM and close on Sunday, November 2nd, at 5 PM. The Morristown Armory is a nice facility, just outside of town, with plenty of parking. Setup is easy with vehicles allowed to drive right up to their booths. It’s a quick show, with immediate results — either you did well or not. The quality of the show is usually quite good, so it’s worth a trip from anywhere in the greater NY, NJ, CT, or PA area.

We'll have this fabulous Martin Brothers bird at the show

We’ll have this fabulous Martin Brothers bird at the show

We’ll be bringing some outstanding new objects that we’ve just recently acquired, including a fabulous Martin Brothers bird — the first one in a long time. Additionally, we’ll have new Tiffany Studios lamps, including two fine Linenfold examples, a wonderful 18″ Handel scenic lamp, a Daum Nancy scenic blownout vase, an Amphora portrait vase, English cameo vases, and numerous other items. It will be one of the best displays we’ve ever done.
We'll also have this gorgeous Handel 18" scenic lamp at the show

We’ll also have this gorgeous Handel 18″ scenic lamp at the show


Our next show, of four in a row, will be the Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show, in a suburb of Chicago. That will be followed by the Kansas City Antiques Expo, and then our final show of 2014, back at the Pier in NYC for the usual November show. Remember to check my website for the latest items and keep reading my blog. Tune in Monday for the results of the Morristown Armory Antiques Show.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

The results of the NYC Big Flea Market, September 27-28, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

There was a good crowd inside and outside just before opening on Saturday

There was a good crowd inside and outside just before opening on Saturday

The NYC Big Flea Market completed its maiden show, September 27-28, 2014. Attendance was good on Saturday, with lots of interest, but sales were not commensurate. The crowd was younger than at the November and March Pier shows, with lots of new faces. Sunday attendance wasn’t quite as good, but still significant. Sunday resulted in two good sales, a Tiffany lamp and a Pairpoint lamp.

Saturday afternoon in front of my booth

Saturday afternoon in front of my booth

It was tough sitting at the show — the hours were ridiculously long — 10 hours on Saturday and 8 hours on Sunday. It would have been less of a problem if we were busy selling all day, but we weren’t. Add the pungent smell of sauerkraut all day, from the food vendor at the entrance, for an unpleasant experience. What really counted were sales. Although we didn’t make many, the results were good enough for us to return in April, for the spring edition of the show. That means we’ll exhibit twice in the same facility within a few weeks, in March and April. I don’t think that will be a bad thing, since the two shows attract different crowds.

This beautiful Tiffany 19" green Linenfold table lamp was sold at the show

This beautiful Tiffany 19″ green Linenfold table lamp was sold at the show

In asking around to just a few dealers, I got the following comments. Arnie Small of Barbara Gerr Antiques (American pottery) remarked “The show was OK. We saw more young people come through than at other shows. The gate was good.” Virgil Rogers of Only Authentics (handbags) said “The show was better than the normal Pier show in November. The crowd was large. I sold some very expensive Chanel and Hermès handbags.” Jeff Myers (glass) was enthusiastic. “I thought it was good. I’m going to come back in April. The crowd was completely different.” Peter Boehm of Dualities Antiques (general) of Larchmont, NY, didn’t feel the same way. “My show was horrible. The worst I’ve ever done.” Finally David Smirnofff of From Here to Antiquity (paintings) of Cheshire, CT, said “I sold a lot of inexpensive items. I’m disappointed that it was promoted as a flea market rather than a treasure hunt.”

Now for a little time off. No shows until November, when we have four in a row. We’ll start in New Jersey at the Morristown Armory, then travel to Chicago for the Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show, followed by the Kansas City Antiques Expo, ending up back at the Pier in NYC for the usual November show. Remember to check my website for the latest items and keep reading my blog. We’ll spend a lot of time finding some great new items for our November circuit.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

The NYC Big Flea Market will open this weekend, September 27-28, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

The show will be held in Pier 94, the white building on the left, September 27-28, 2014

The show will be held in Pier 94, the white building on the left, September 27-28, 2014

The NYC Big Flea Market will open this coming weekend and run from Saturday, September 27, at 9 AM, until Sunday, September 28, at 5 PM. The promoters, D’Amore Promotions, will be using the same Pier 94 that is used by USA Antique Shows for their November and March shows. This is the first time for this show, with an entirely new cast of dealers.

One of the Fredericksburg displays

One of the Fredericksburg displays

D’Amore Promotions produces the DC Big Flea Market in Chantilly, Virginia and the Fredericksburg Big Flea Market in Fredericksburg, Virginia. They decided to duplicate their successful Virginia shows in New York City. Pretty gutsy move. A successful Virginia show doesn’t necessarily translate into a successful New York City show. It’s not exactly Field of Dreams — if you build it, he will come. First you’ve got to convince the dealers to exhibit at your new show. They needed a good response and got it. The show will be full, with many new dealers who never exhibit in New York City. The next step is to fill the place with buyers, who will make the dealers happy and so will begin a virtuous cycle.

We'll have this wonderful Martin Brothers double-face jug at the show

We’ll have this wonderful Martin Brothers double-face jug at the show

I’ve got a good feeling about this show. I expect different people to attend, which hopefully will be a good thing. I’m bringing lots of fresh items to the show, which is always good for business. Look for the results next Monday.

Click here for more information about the Big Flea Market.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

The results of the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair, August 21-24, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

There was a good crowd at the opening on Thursday morning

There was a good crowd at the opening on Thursday morning

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair closed yesterday, Sunday, August 24th. It was an interesting show for us, but the bottom line was disappointing. The show started weakly on opening day, then got stronger on Friday. We were hopeful that the weekend would be good, but it wasn’t. Attendance was best on Saturday, but we only made two small sales. Sunday attendance was fair, but we only made one sale to the public, but two good sales to dealers on the floor of the show. Sales were down over 50% from the average of the last several years.

Sales were not commensurate with interest and the number of questions

Sales were not commensurate with interest and the number of questions

I asked several dealers for their results. Some allowed me to use their names and others preferred to remain anonymous. Jack Ophir of Englewood, NJ, said “Our show was consistent with previous year’s successes.” Butler & Butler of Sarasota, FL remarked “Considering the market, we were delighted. We saw lots of previous customers and some new ones.” Alfred Cali of Cleveland, OH told me “We did well, mostly artwork.” An East Coast Art Nouveau dealer said “Traffic was off and I would have preferred more sales.” Sayed Hosseini of Antique Legacy of Upland, CA, remarked “It was good.” Brothers Bob and Rick Kaplan of CA said “The show was disappointing. We did 50% less than last year with unusually small crowds.” Chris Mulloy of Palm Springs, CA was happy. “The show was fantastic. All my customers came and were true to me.” Jeff Myers was also pleased. “My show was very good.” And finally one of the major dealers of the show said “We did well, but not great”.

The show will be held in the white building on the left, September 27-28, 2014

The show will be held in the white building on the left, September 27-28, 2014

We just decided to add a new show to our schedule, the NYC Big Flea Market. The new promoters, D’Amore Promotions, will be using the same Pier 94 that is used by USA Antique Shows for their November and March shows. This one will be substantially different, with an entirely new cast of dealers. Click here for more information. It should be good, so I’m really looking forward to it.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

Setting up at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair, August 19-20, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

We can drive right up to our booths in Baltimore

We can drive right up to our booths in Baltimore

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair will be open today, Thursday, August 21, as you read my blog. We’ve spent the last couple of days setting up the show. It was hard work, but worth the effort — the booth looks great. It’s filled with lots of new goodies that we’ve been buying both from private homes and other dealers. During setup, all the dealers shop from each other, including me. I was able to buy some lovely items.

The show is fabulous. Just like in the winter for Miami Beach, dealers save their best items to bring to this show. It’s worth the effort because many of the attendees travel great distances to attend. Only motivated people are willing to do that, so the crowd includes serious buyers. People travel to this show from all over the world, not just the USA. They come to see the dealers who exhibit at very few shows and the vast assortment of great merchandise.

What other city offers this? Jimmy John's is next door to the Convention Center

What other city offers this? Jimmy John’s is next door to the Convention Center


You’ll not only enjoy the fabulous show, but also Baltimore. It’s changed greatly since we started exhibiting there over 30 years ago, all for the better. Entire neighborhoods have been transformed, which include really great restaurants. If you’re a foodie, like I am, you’ll love the choice. Then take advantage of the Inner Harbor and its activities, including a world-class aquarium.

See you at the show! We’re in the extreme right-hand corner as you enter the show, in booth #2100. Come and say hello!! The show runs until this Sunday, August 24th, at 6 PM. Then tune in on Monday for the results of the show.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.